NJ Taxpayers Billed for Christie's Convention Security

New Jersey taxpayers are being billed $19,624 in security costs for Gov. Chris Christie’s trip to the Republican National Convention in Tampa last month, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.

State Police spokesman Lt. Stephen Jones said the money represents the total costs incurred for state troopers to provide security for Christie, who delivered the keynote address to convention delegates during his stay in Florida from Aug. 26 through Aug. 31.

Jones declined to say specifically what the bill was for, other than to note that it was above and beyond the average salary of $87,596 a trooper assigned to the governor's security detail normally gets.

“Information that’s going to reveal any of the actions taken in the course of protecting a dignitary is naturally off limits,” Jones told the Star-Ledger. “It’s that way from the Secret Service on down. You don’t give out any information that would give the enemy insights into how the protection unit does their jobs.”

But Jones did reveal that 30 Garden State troopers are assigned to the governor's protective detail.

The bill for Christie's stay in Tampa was more than the costs billed to state taxpayers. According to the Star-Ledger, the Republican Governors Association picked up the other costs because Christie currently serves as its chairman.